I've been thinking a lot about goals and commitments and where and what do I really want in this whole fitness thing. But, it's very clear, that diet and fitness consciousness is part of the rest of my life. (Note for future post: Augusten Burroughs is wrong. To be explained another day.)
I'm reading The Power of Habit. I'm not very far into it, but I think I got the core message the rest of the book will elaborate on: "habit" is something that is fundamental to us as people. Habit exists out of conscious memory, and can be very powerful and persistent even when memory has gone away. To make a habit, you need: (1) trigger, (2) action and (3) reward. Habits burned into your brain do not ever go away, but they can be disrupted by superimposing new habits on top, with new, more powerful triggers or rewards.
So, I have work to do on my exercise triggers, but it's very clear that my exercise reward system consists of my gadgets and my statistics collected. Also posting (and boasting) about it here. I took a little run today, and here are the stats:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/220577240
This is below my performance last April when I was training for a 5K. I think I'm doing another one (schedule is a tad iffy) and I've got to focus to not embarrass myself.
Off the to rest of the day. Cheerio.
1 comment:
trigger, action, reward. This is a very interesting line of thought as it pertains to eating and fitness. So much of the reward with my abstaining from rich foods and getting out and moving is very distanced from the actual act. In the moment of reaching for the donut or choosing to stay a sloth on the couch, there is no clear and immediate reward. Looking and feeling better seem too distant a carrot. Worth mulling over.
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